Job Gone Wrong
by AznAnimeGrl2649
Summary: .:NejiTen:. [AU] The last thing Tenten wanted was for her life to be complicated. Enter Hyuuga Neji, an assassin for hire. The good: he's not hard on the eyes. The bad: his arrogant attitude. The ugly: they have to live together under one roof. Needless to say, Tenten's life just got complicated.
1. Day One

**A/N:** I was kind of sad of the lack of updates. Though I am part of the guilty few, I want to make it up by giving you guys something new to read! In addition, please check out my new profile with a link to my new NejiTen story under a different account! Don't forget to vote on my poll! Well, enjoy.

* * *

**Started:** Thursday, April 16, 2009

**Draft Finished:** Sunday, April 19, 2009

**Fiction:** Continuation

**Rated:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** The character and names of Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. This story belongs to me.

**Anime:** Naruto

**Pairings:** NejiTen

**Genre:** Romance

**Summary:** Tenten's life was simple and ordinary until one night, an unexpected person appears in her apartment with a gun pointed to her head. Wounded, Hyuuga Neji needed her assistance to save him from a fatal wound in the aftermath of an assassination job gone wrong. Then, complication ensues when he decides to stay.

**Job Gone Wrong **

Day One

* * *

The job of an assassin was very simple. You would be assigned to a job, stick with it until the job is done. While in between, you adapt to your target's routine, memorizing their habits until you could recite it without pause. For Neji, his job description of being an assassin boiled down to one word: challenging. Being an assassin didn't necessary entitle you to live your own life. You must adapt to survive, or in this case, adapt to finish your assignment without leaving a trace.

The irony of this lifestyle was that you'd eventually become the target. When your name was the calling card for death, the last thing you'd want on your mind is the feeling of failure, but it seemed impossible at the moment when there was a bullet embedded in your gut.

For Hyuuga Neji, this was part of his job: killed or be killed. The one thing he was quite certain right now was that he didn't feel like dying. Not tonight.

+0+0+0+

Tenten didn't live a tedious life. Every day, she would wake up, get ready for work, come home, cook dinner, take a bath, and watch television until she fall asleep on the couch. This was her daily routine, whereas the weekends were reserved to do necessary chores. Life was good. She had no worries, no family drama, best of all no trouble. Okay, maybe now and then there's some money trouble, but who doesn't? With the economy these days, Tenten counted her blessings for having good friends and a wonderful steady job she really enjoy.

Being a florist might not sound like the best job in the world, however to Tenten it was rewarding. Not everyone understand the language of flowers (aside from her coworkers Ino and Sakura), but once you do, you would see things in a new light.

"I hate slow people," commented Ino. Okay, maybe just most of the time. Closing the door, the blonde flipped the sign and pulled down the blinds. "Seriously, how long can you spend in a flower shop?" She moved toward the back, joining Sakura and Tenten. "I helped her myself and she still wasn't satisfied what my expertise. _Hello_, I owe this damn shop!" Tenten and Sakura chuckled while they finished cleaning up the counter filled with scattered tissue paper and ribbons.

"Oh Ino, just chill," said the pink haired girl. "Besides, it's Friday, which means its movie night! We're going to your place tonight, right Tenten?"

"Yep," she replied. "You guys can pick the movie out and I'll get a head start on making some snacks for us."

"Can't wait," Ino exclaimed cheerfully. Tenten always made the best snacks. "You can go ahead. We're finish up here."

"Are you sure?" The pair of girls nodded.

"We'll be right there after we head down to the video store," assured Sakura.

"Well, okay. I'll see you girls later," Tenten happily bid her friends good night.

+0+0+0+

After taking the local bus route to the front of her building, she walked up the six flights of stairs and unlocked the door. The instant she shut the door, the feel of cold hard metal was placed at the back of her head. Tenten froze on the spot, unable to speak. Two things came to mind while she stood there. One, she prayed to Heaven that the person behind her wasn't a rapist and two, she should have listened to Lee about getting a watch dog. Mentally scolding herself for not turning on the lights before closing the door, she didn't have time to think about anything else when the person behind her spoke.

"Turn around slowly." Like she had a choice. Nevertheless, Tenten did as instructed. In the dark, she heard the heavy breathing of a person, as if out of breath. Then, the lights flickered on and she saw a young man pointing a weapon directly on her temple. Silver eyes bore her dark orbs while his brows knitted together in pain. He couldn't be much older than she, though she would be lying if she didn't think he wasn't the least bit attractive. Even with his hair in a mess and the less than friendly attitude, it didn't stop her from being captivated by his presence. Tenten trailed her gaze to blood that was trickling through the fabric of his shirt; crimson liquid fell onto her hardwood floors like water. Although he was applying pressure on his abdominal with a bag of ice, it wasn't enough to stop the blood from escaping, nor numb the pain.

"You're bleeding," she stated the obvious, ignoring the glare he was giving her. Sure she was scared, but with the adrenaline pumping in her body right now, she didn't care. Hell, she was furious to say the least; in denial, maybe. In her mind, the phrase "this can't be happening right now" repeated itself like a broken record. A scenario like this could only exist on television, right?

"Show me your hands," he told her. Okay, maybe not. This was definitely happening right now. Without breaking eye contact, Tenten tossed her keys and purse onto the couch and placed her hands in front of her. "How steady are you with a knife?" That question caught her off guard.

"What?" Tenten watched him flinch and realized what he meant. With all of that blood seeping out of his wound, there was no doubt he'd be needing a knife to pry the bullet out. "I can handle using knives, but shouldn't you consult to a doctor first? What makes you think I'll be able to find the bullet?" His fingers pulled back the hammer and the familiar sound of a bullet sliding into the chamber made her blood run cold. Obviously he wasn't happy with her answer. "Whoa, buddy. I get it. Bullet wound, which means it needs to be reported to the police by law, however if you think about it-" The rest of her logical speech didn't get to leave her mouth when he grabbed her by the arm. "Hey, hey!" She protested, holding back a painful cry due to his tight grip. With a sweeping force, he pulled her to the bathroom, her very _small_ bathroom.

"Get out your first aid kit," he commanded. The brunette rubbed her arm and scowled. Great, now he got his blood on her. Gross.

"Fine," she hissed at him. Might as well cooperate with him because the sooner she gets the job done, the sooner he would stop manhandling her. _Men._ "What do you want me to do?" The intruder took a seat on the toilet cover, refusing to take his gaze off his hostage.

"I need you to take the bullet out and clean the wound. After that, I need you to cauterize and bandage it," he stated simply. Easy said than done when there was gun pointed to your head.

"Look, if you want me to help you, would you mind putting your gun away?" Tenten gave a small sigh when he withdrew his weapon, switching the safety on in the process. With the threat on her life almost out of the way, she was able to think a little clearly. Letting the reality of the situation slowly sink in, Tenten sterilized her hands to the best of her ability. She took out the rubbing alcohol and the necessary tools to remove the bullet from his abdominal onto the bathroom counter. Turning to him, she said, "Take your shirt off." The glare of the intruder intensified as if she was asking him to have sex with her. She rolled her eyes. "Look, it wasn't an excuse to see you naked. I just need to see your wound." He only stared at her before unbuttoning his blood-tainted dress shirt. As Tenten watched him struggle out of his clothes, she thought it was the best time to initiate some conversation. This served two purposes for her: one, she needed to know who she was dealing with and two, she needed a distraction, badly. "Do you know who shot you?" Instantly, Tenten got to work, cleaning the outside wound with the rubbing alcohol. Too bad she didn't have any liquor; it would have been less painful.

"Yes," he growled. Though he flinched a couple of times due to her nervousness, she apologized. It wasn't like she was doing it on purpose. Hell, this was the first time she had seen this much blood.

"Are you some petty criminal who got shot while trying get away or something?" Tenten threw the blood-soaked wad of cotton into the wastebasket and got a fresh piece, avoiding his stare all together. The way he was gawking made her very uncomfortable.

"Guess again," was his reply. Tenten moved her eyes to the silencer attached to the end of barrel. She knew what it was used for and which type of people use them. Looking at it, the marbles in her head clicked, pulling images from action movies that were filled with assassination plots with revenge motives.

"You're a hired killer." Her statement marked the end of the conversation. Now that she knew a little bit about him, it was enough to be sure she was safe for the time being. The two remain mostly silent with Tenten occasionally assuring him that she wasn't deliberately hurting him each time the sounds of acute hissing escaped his mouth. With much instruction and concentration, Tenten finally got the bullet out. The hardest part was cauterizing it, which Tenten was glad she didn't have to do it. That task was all his. Then, in great relief they were done.

"What's your name?" Tenten finally asked him. Her hands worked around his abdominal steadily. The last thing on her mind was the close proximity. With her arms traveling around and over to make sure the dressing completely covered the wound, she thought it was about time for an introduction.

"Neji," he finally told her.

"Neji," she repeated. The sound of his name rolled off her tongue with ease. "So, I take it we're even? I mean you're not going to kill me now, are you?" He chuckled darkly at her blunt question.

"No." A pause. "I am not going to kill you." For some reason, the brunette couldn't help but waited for him to add 'yet' at the end of his sentence. Then again, he did owe her for saving his life.

"Well, I'm Tenten." She stood up and held out her hand.

"Do you really want to shake the hand of the person who just tried to killed you?" Neji scoffed, leaning against the wall. Tenten couldn't help but stare at the sight of him. He was arrogant as ever, even after surviving excruciating pain. To think he should be a little grateful to her after what she had done, helping him and all.

"I am trying to be polite, unlike you," she retorted. "Breaking into my apartment, getting blood all over my hardwood floors, not to mention getting that ice from my freeze." The said bag of ice was in the sink, melting away into a heap of orange liquid after being mixed with his blood. While ranting, Tenten placed all the items away into her cupboard and cleaned his dried blood off her arm. "Now I need to clean the kitchen too! Did you get blood in my freezer because so help me God-" She was cut off when Neji swung her around putting them face to face. He placed his hands on either side of her, locking her in place while he moved into her personal space. She blinked a couple of times to adjust to the sudden change in vision. "What are you doing?" Her words came out in a whisper.

"You talk too much," he told her in a low tone that sent shivers down her spine. Tenten unconsciously tilted her head away, feeling the heat rising up to her face. Damn her hormones. "I need to wash up." In a blink of an eye, he moved away. Letting out a small breath, it took a second to get what he was trying to tell her. Apparently, he wanted to clean up with all of the caked blood on his hands, not to mention various places she did dare to look. Without another word, Tenten took her exit, slamming the door behind her. She took a breath to calm herself down and leaned against the closed door.

Assassin or not, he was going to be the death of her. She just knew it.

+0+0+0+

Wiping the water from his face, Neji stared at his tired reflection for a short period of time, wondering how he had gotten into this mess. It was obviously the Akatsuki lived up to their reputation of being articulate killers. He was definitely sure he did not leave a trace, yet it was possible for the Akatsuki to track him down. Obviously, they thought he was too much of a threat to be left alive. Maybe he should have heed Kakashi's warning with more caution. Nevertheless, the Hyuuga prodigy had other things on his mind. More importantly, he needed to lay low and recover from his wound. Only then would he be able to continue and finish his job.

Searching for the owner of the apartment, Neji found her looking through a box. He watched her from a distance while she riffled through some old clothes. Inwardly, he shook his head. This girl was a piece of work. Wanting to introduce yourself to a potential killer after he held you at gunpoint was one thing, now she was trying to help him out of her own will. In a way, he was amused; even more so when he saw the huge shock on her face when she turned around.

"What the hell? You scared me half to death!" Her hands clutched her chest. He smirked. She was kind of cute when she was angry. "What are you, a ghost?" A bit annoyed, she threw him a large shirt and some sweatpants. "These belong to my friend. He stays here sometimes, but I don't think he'd mind if you borrow them." Neji looked at the color of the shirt. It was green. "I guess I'll leave you to change. You know where the door is, right?"

"I'm not leaving," said the Hyuuga male. He casually pulled the shirt over his head.

"Excuse me?" Tenten asked, hoping that she heard him wrong. "You're going to stay here, as in here, my apartment?"

"You have a problem with that?"

"Um, yes!" She exclaimed. "This is my apartment. You can't just waltz in here and decide to stay."

"Would you rather have me kill you?" Tenten gulped. She totally forgot about the part that he was a professional killer.

"No, but-but. . ." the brunette was lost for words.

"I'll take the couch," he told her. "In return, I will pay half the rent."

"Wait, I didn't ask for your money, I just think-" There he went again, entering her personal space. This time, he held onto her arms. With his stature towering over her own, his dark long hair brushed against her face.

"Don't think about it," he whispered in a low tone. Mesmerized by his gesture and eyes, Tenten unconsciously bit her lip and reminded herself to breath. Neji lifted her chin closely to his own, running his thumb over her smooth lips. As fast as the moment came, he moved away and held up his hand. A piece of her eyelash that had fallen from above was on his fingertip.

"Thank you," she said sheepishly. He smirked and the moment was forgotten. "Hey, what do you mean 'Don't think about it?'" She placed her hands on her hips. "I have a mind you know. Besides, I don't currently need a roommate, so you're out of luck, buddy." Tenten wanted to add something else, but froze on the spot at the chime of her doorbell. For a second, they stared at each other. Swiftly, the two of them went to the door where Tenten peeked into the eyehole. "Oh, crap!" Pressing her back against the door, she looked at Neji before saying, "Hide!" In a rush, she pushed him to the nearest hiding space, which was her closet and slammed it shut.

This was definitely _not_ her night, not at all.

+0+0+0+

On the other side of the door stood Sakura and Ino who were both ready for the movie night. As for Tenten, she totally forgot about it. In a panic, she yelled, "just a minute" all the while, she grabbed a paper towel from the kitchen and wiped the red liquid that was glistening on the floor. She threw it in the bin nearby and taking a breath, she went up to the front door to pull the door ajar. "Hey, guys!" Momentarily out of breath, Tenten was glad her friends didn't ask her what was wrong. Where would she start?

"Time to watch some movies!" said Ino, walking over to the closet. Tenten thought her heart was going to leap out of her chest.

"Wait!" Grabbing the purse and coats of Ino and Sakura, the brunette placed herself between her friends and the closet. "How about I put this away for you guys? Go ahead and start the movie."

"Are you okay, Tenten?" Sakura asked. "You seem a bit jumpy. Did something happen?"

"Oh Sakura, leave the girl alone," the blonde chided. "If she wants to put our stuff away, let her." She pulled the pink haired girl to the couch. "Let's start already!" Tenten didn't have time to breathe a sigh of relief. It took her a second to open the closet door behind her to place her friend's belongings on the floor without the need to turn around. Then, she went to the kitchen she get the snacks.

"Hey Sakura, did you get microwavable popcorn from your bag?"

"No, they're in the closet. I'll go get it."

"Ok." From the kitchen, Tenten knew it was all ready too late. If she ran into the living room right now, her friends would ask about her suspicious behavior. Since they were bound to find out, she quickly grabbed the tray full of drinks and walked into the living room to witness the damage. In the blink an of eye, she saw the scene unfold before her. Sakura had open the door and jumped back, releasing a loud yelp at the sight of Neji, who calmly emerged calmly out of the closet. Ino turned to see their unexpected guest and gasped. Both in disbelief, her friends looked back and forth between Tenten and Neji.

"Tenten, who is this?" Ino questioned in a wary tone.

"Well, you see. . ." she faltered, looking toward Neji for some help. The situation proved to be more than she could handle.

"I'm her new roommate," he told her friends. To say he was annoyed about this avoidable dilemma was an understatement. Tenten didn't have to be a mind reader to hear what he was thinking right now.

"What?" Her friends yelled in unison.

"Yep, my new roommate," she finally said lamely. What else is she supposed to say? 'He's an assassin and he'll be living in my apartment after I helped bandage him up his gun wound. Oh, and if I don't cooperate he might kill me.' Yeah, that was going to end well. Though she felt guilty, Tenten couldn't tell them the truth. If she needed to lie to them in order to keep them safe, then so be it.

"And why was your new roommate hiding in the closet?"

"He has agoraphobia?" Tenten inwardly slapped herself. A smooth liar, she was not.

"Okay," Ino replied, giving Tenten a devilish grin. "Sure he does." Ino lifted her eyebrows up and down insinuating that they were doing something that should be censored. Yeah, right.

"Maybe we should leave," Sakura suggested. Making haste, the pink haired girl didn't stand there for Tenten to reply. Instead, she pulled Ino along, grabbing their stuff at the same time. Unlatching the front door, Sakura pushed Ino ahead before the blonde can protest before adding sweetly, "Don't let us interrupt. We totally understand." With a wink, the door was shut. "Have fun!" Her voice echoed in the hallway. A few minutes past and they both remain rooted on the spot.

Finally, Tenten placed the tray on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch. "Whew, that was close," Tenten sighed.

Neji came into her view and she looked up. "Now that they are gone, I have something to tell you." Silence ate up the room before he told her in a calm, even tone, "Your life is in danger."

She raised a brow. "What do you mean my life is in danger?"

"You're about to find out." Before she got a chance to ask any further, the sound of gunfire filled the air. With lighting fast reflexes, the assassin grabbed Tenten by the arm and pushed her onto the floor. The sound of glass shattering and bullets ricocheting off the walls scared her out of her wits. Ducking and praying like crazy, Tenten berated herself for her bad luck. While she did that, Neji acted accordingly, protecting not only himself but his newly acquired acquaintance. At least he was kind enough to pull her away from the flying bullets.

Assassins: you can't live with them, can't live without them. Apparently for Tenten, this proved to be a true statement; one that she dreaded to doubt otherwise. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be in this situation in the first place, but one thing was for sure, her life was not going to be so simple anymore. If they could manage to survive after this, she was going to make sure to thank him, and raise his rent, most definitely, because he _so_ owed her.

* * *

**A/N:** Please read and reivew! I'm not quite sure how to continue on from here. Any ideas?

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	2. Day Two

**A/N:** Okay, so I am trying to approach this story differently for a number of reasons. One, I found my inspiration and two, I had to propel this story forward somehow. Sadly, I haven't got much feedback for this story. Can you please share your thoughts on it?

* * *

Special Thanks to my Reviewers:

**BitterLife**

**Multicolored stamps**

**sixteenstories**

**kendii**

**HanaTenshiHimeko**

**ichigorukia4life**

**Kannika**

**TearOfMwast**

**tennwasxdork**

**shahdee13**

**asian-ninja**

**FallenAngel92**

**the swede**

**Nejiten**

**Hiwiwy**

**Princess Bhria**

* * *

**Started:** Sunday, April 19, 2009

**Draft finished:** Monday, April 20, 2009

**Fiction:** Continuation

**Rated:** PG-13

**Dwasclaimer:** The character and names of Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. This story belongs to me.

**Anime:** Naruto

**Pairings:** NejiTen

**Genre:** Romance

**Summary:** Tenten's life was simple and ordinary until one night, an unexpected person appears in her apartment with a gun pointed to her head. Wounded, Hyuuga Neji asks for her assistance to save him from a fatal wound in the aftermath of an assassination job gone wrong. Then, complication ensues when he decides to stay.

**Job Gone Wrong **

Day Two

* * *

"You're trying to tell me that was a _fucking_ coincidence?" Anger was something that was very hard to control, even for a cold-hearted assassin. Of course, the one who should be mad as hell right now was the owner of the apartment. At the moment, she was inspecting the damage that was done to her apartment. It wasn't as bad as it looked, apart from the thousand shards of glass that was sprawled all over her hardwood floors. At least the apartment wasn't a totally lost. Tenten wasn't as outraged as her newly found roommate, who was currently pouring his frustration into his cell phone. Tenten hoped whoever was on the other end of the line could sleep tonight (after listening to an earful), not that she was eavesdropping or anything. It was just hard to ignore the low death threats she had the pleasure of experiencing hours before. Right now, a good night's sleep was far from her mind.

Tenten sat calmly on her couch, inwardly taking in the events that had happened in such a short period of time. An average person would have been hysterical right now after almost getting killed, especially after meeting with a total stranger who turned out to be a professional killer. To think that Tenten would one, cry in front of a stranger and two, have a mental breakdown and run straight to the police station was out of the question.

There were several reasons why she wasn't do that. First of all, she wanted to live (thank you very much). Since people were going after the assassin, naturally they would be going after her too, due to the fact that she helped him (involuntary, she wanted to add). The next logical reason was: no one would believe her. Assassins were like ghosts, appearing when they are needed and disappearing when they are finished with their business. She would doubt her landlord would be forgiving if she reported that the full responsibility of the ruined apartment boiled down to some killer she barely knew.

"Understood. I'll be there as soon as I can. Send my report to Kakashi." With a click of a button, the call was terminated. Turning to the quiet brunette, the Hyuuga prodigy examined her from a far. Though she had a few scratches on her, he figured now wouldn't be the best time to tell her that they both must leave this place immediately. The Akatsuki had tracked him and he needed to disappear, but he wasn't going to leave her behind, not since it's technically his fault that she got dragged into this. "Say something," he ordered. Was she too afraid to speak?

"What am I suppose to say?" The tone of her voice did not hold any grudge against him, though he didn't realize the heaviness of her words would have an impact on what he was going to tell her.

"You're coming with me. I will give you five minutes to pack what you can." Upon hearing those words, Tenten stood up. Her eyes were full of anger.

"I'm not leaving my apartment," she told him firmly.

"Do you want to die here? If you do, then be my guest," Neji growled. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her down the hall toward her room. "Five minutes," he warned and then added, "I will be timing you." When he left, Tenten wanted to scream. How dare he mess up her life like this? Her simple life, in hours was wiped away from his single presence! Now he expected her to throw away everything and leave every one she cares about in a mere five minutes? Tenten was beyond furious and she would like nothing more than to strangle Neji, assassin or not. But what choice did she have? Either stay here and hope the people that were after Neji would leave her alone, or she could escape and be safe under his protection. In addition, her friends would be out of the picture, putting them in no danger at all. Maybe this decision was for the best, which was what Tenten was trying to tell herself over and over again. Why does life have to be so complicated?

+0+0+0+

"Let's go," Tenten announced when she entered her living room. Looking around, she etched the memory of her apartment in her mind for the last time. The feeling of lost erupted at the pit of her stomach like volcano. Being sentimental over a place seems unwise, but she couldn't help but think back to all the times she and her friends had spent in this meager apartment; all the fun and joy, the pure absence of troubles and the echoes of warmth and family will nothing more than memories. Soon, she felt droplets of tears threatening to fall down her face, but she wiped them out of her eyes before heading to the door. Standing like guard, the assassin merely gave her a glance and walked toward the elevators while Tenten followed along. They didn't bother looking back.

In the cool midnight breeze, the two headed silently in the direction of a small car. Buckled in, Neji started the engine and drove off into the dimmed streets of the city. As for Tenten, she didn't care enough to ask where they were going. Her mind was stuck, replaying her day over and over again. She was never going to see her friends again, and for the first time, she wanted to cry freely even if it was in front of a stranger. So, she did. The blurring sights from her window passed as fast as they came while her tears fall like raindrops. Needless to say, the assassin didn't stop her. He listened to her stifles and sobs, but never once offer her a piece of tissue. Sometimes, it was better to just let it all out.

+0+0+0+

After a long drive they finally arrived at their destination. Neji knew the brunette was asleep. The subtle rhythm of her breathing told him as much. Not only did she fall asleep but somehow, in between the drive, she managed to lean her head onto his shoulder. That didn't bother him much, although he wasn't accustomed having people find him for support.

Leveling her head to rest on the other side, Neji got out of the car. Circling to the passenger seat, he unlatched it before pulling Tenten into his arms as soon as he unbuckled the seatbelt. She was not light, but not heavy either. Within minutes, he stood in front of the ivory doors belonging to his hideout. To say it was a struggle to get inside with his hands being full was not a lie, especially since he's just recovering from his previous wound treated a few hours ago. But with much patience, he eventually got her onto a bed to rest for the night. Turning to head off to his own room, Neji halted in midstep finding that he couldn't.

"Don't leave," were the words that came out of her mouth. Tenten held onto his hand unconsciously. As he peered down at her, the assassin couldn't help but notice the dried tears staining her face. He had half the desire to wipe it away, but thought against it. Who was she to him? Someone who he had just met, whom he put in unavoidable danger by asking her for help in his most vulnerable moment; how selfish of him.

Instead of releasing her grip, he let it lingered, feeling the warmth of the gentle contact. He too, wanted to sleep, because they both going to need it.

+0+0+0+

Warmth. This was the first thought Tenten had when she awoke. At first, she didn't want to get up, being comfortable and all. After what had happened yesterday, a little bit of sleep wouldn't kill her. She didn't care for the time, nor that she was elsewhere other than her apartment, or the fact that she was buried under fluffy comforters that are not her own. It wasn't until she heard the sound of another person's breathing that freaked her out. Instantly, the brunette pulled her head out of the covers to witness a horrible nightmare (to her, at least).

Sleeping only a few centimeters away was Neji. At the sight of him, Tenten muffled a cry of surprise but her attempt to be quiet was in vain. Pearly white orbs met her dark widened eyes and the first words that came out of the assassin's mouth was, "Let go of my hand." Bewildered, Tenten looked down to see that indeed her hand was clasped upon his. She removed her grip almost immediately as if his hand was on fire.

"Where are we?" She asked, moving slightly away, uncomfortable at the fact that she had share a bed with a man she barely knew. Looking around the room, she found herself in a white room furnished with simple curtains, drawers, lamps, and chairs. The sheets were pure silk and the expensive details of the duvet did not express an element of ordinary. It was safe to assume that everything in the room was custom-made.

"Somewhere safe," he answered. The way the light was shining in the room heightened his soft features, reminding her of the portraits from the Renaissance era. Tenten couldn't help but stare. With bright rays of light bouncing off his long dark locks of hair, she saw tints of color that were a touch darker than her own. "Look out the window." Tenten did as instructed and saw nothing but trees. On a beautiful sunny day, the scenary made her believe that she was in a different part of the world. In that moment of silence, she could hear water splashing against rocks. Wherever they were, it was indeed isolated for miles. All Tenten wanted to do now was to admire her surroundings.

In the lack of her response, Neji merely stared at her. Hair loose from her usual buns, the awe-struck expression on her face complimented the innocence in her eyes. In her stillness, she resembled someone you might see in candid picture: plain at first sight, but you look more closely you'll be able to see something more. Finally, he sat up and walked over to the door. There was no time for leisure, not for him. Besides, he had some business that he needed to take care of. Before making his departure, Neji turned to her in all seriousness and said, "Your snores kept me up." With that, he closed the door, barely able to escape the flying pillow thrown by Tenten. Obviously, she wasn't a morning person.

+0+0+0+

The smell of food made Tenten follow the long spiral stairs, leading her to the open kitchen. Minutes after washing her face and making herself more presentable (namely fixing her hair), she decided it was time to see what Neji was up to. Standing near the island, the owner of the house plated some scrambled eggs onto a dish alongside crispy stripes of bacon, wedges of toast, and fluffy pancakes. Instantly, Tenten wanted to drool.

"Food," she replied instead, sounding like a song bird. Her bright attitude didn't go unnoticed by the Hyuuga prodigy, who ignored her outburst in annoyance that she would be thankful for food rather than to show him some respect. "Morning, Neji." Oh, so she was going to greet him after all. Go figure. "I brushed my teeth with the only toothbrush in the bathroom, I hope that's okay." this time, Neji cringed inwardly. She used his _toothbrush_? Why didn't she bring her own? "I couldn't find my bag anywhere. Did you bring it in?" Tenten took a seat on the stool, taking a bite of toast in the process. The truth was, she didn't use his toothbrush. She merely wanted to get back at him for saying she snored loudly, which wasn't true at all. Never once did her friends complained when they are staying overnight, or maybe they were just trying to be polite? Either way, Tenten grinned widely when she saw his left eye twitch. Now he knew how she felt. _Ha._ "I'm just kidding." The Hyuuga however, was not amused.

"Not funny," he told her in a strict voice. At that, she laughed openly. "Eat up." Tenten poured maple syrup on her pancakes after slapping a few pads of butter on them.

"Why?" Cutting the flapjack with her fork, she ate a large piece that was enough to stuff her mouth full.

"You will be cleaning the entire house." Tenten almost choked. "After you do the dishes," he added. Swallowing like her life depended on it, she took a sip of orange juice to clear her throat.

"What? Wait, why am I going to clean your house?" It wasn't her house, he should clean it, not her. Besides, it'd probably take her all day. The house was huge.

"In exchange for your protection," Neji said smoothly. "You didn't expect it to be free, did you?"

"But-but-" She stammered. Where did this come from? He didn't say anything about her becoming his personal maid. Then again, she should do something to repay him for sanctuary. "Fine," Tenten agreed. Its reasonable enough at least. He could have just left her back at her apartment for target practice. "But I'm not doing your laundry!" Neji chuckled darkly.

Leaning in closely, he whispered into her ear, "We'll see about that." Just as she was going to strike him, he took his exit, leaving her alone in the kitchen to finish her breakfast. Fuming, the brunette didn't feel so excited anymore. Sure, the food was good but she did not look forward to being some kind of servant, especially for him. What has she gotten herself into?

"Jerk!" Her voice carried throughout the house like ripples of water. Tenten made sure of it. Someone had to let him know. From the stairs the assassin smirked. Maybe gaining a roommate would have a benefit after all. It was definitely a plus when you don't have to do the laundry, and there was nothing Hyuuga Neji hated more than laundry.

* * *

**A/N:** Should I even continue this story?

* * *

**Preview of Chapter Three**

Cable television, long afternoon naps, and the freedom to walk beyond the front door are a thing of the past for Tenten. Right now, all the time she had reserved was for cleaning. Sweeping the kitchen floors, vacuuming the stairs, dusting the living room, and wiping down every square inch of every surface in the house was absolutely torture when you have to do it all yourself. She doubts Neji was the cleaning type; that damn hypocrite. In a mere four hours, Tenten was able to accomplished half of the list Neji generously gave her. She wanted nothing more to tear it up and throw it in his face, but decided against. It wasn't like she was scared of him or anything; the bastard went upstairs before she could even mumble a word. Besides, the chores would give her something to do. It was better than sitting and watching television all day that's for sure.

Stepping backward to speculate her work, Tenten bumped into another body. Thinking it was Neji, the brunette turned around to yell at him for sneaking up on her. To her surprise, she found a man, whom she would have mistake him for an elderly person had she not look at his face carefully. his hair however, reminded her of a scarecrow.

"Yo," he waved casually, checking out the pink apron she had on at the same time. his brow rose in amusement. "My, my," he drawled out lazily. "I wouldn't have pegged Neji for wanting a domestic life." What was he talking about? Placing his hand on her shoulder in earnest, he said, "Tell me." She tilted her head to the side in confusion and could have swore a twinkle of mischief was evident in his only visible eye. The silver haired male leaned into her personal space, "How was Neji was in bed?" At that, Tenten's left eye twitched. It was official, all assassins were perverts.

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	3. Day Three

**A/N:** Here's a new chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

My thanks to:

**Princess Bhria**

**Hiwiwy**

**shahdee13**

**Silvergriffen10**

**Elephantie**

**Fuzei**

**RushArt**

**CharlieHyuga75**

**TearOfMist**

**Myatei-of-the-Akatsuki**

**HanTenshiHimeko**

**kendii**

**neji-luver**

**anonymous**

**AekaAnime**

**sashenoyama**

**Kannika**

**Kick -Assing -Kunoichi**

**.debi.09**

**RisingTwinDragons 93**

**elyssalyn**

**tenryuu-hime**

**xNaminator**

**asian-ninja**

**animewitch17**

**sanaforever**

**ichigorukia4life**

**Toph43**

**Nywenn**

**Krizzie (x2)**

**CoolDuck **

**nanamisakurachan**

**FallenAngel92**

* * *

**Started:** Monday, May 11, 2009

**Draft Finished:** September 9, 2009

**Fiction:** Continuation

**Rated:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** The character and names of Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. This story belongs to me.

**Anime:** Naruto

**Pairings:** NejiTen

**Genre:** Romance

**Summary:** Tenten's life was simple and ordinary until one night, an unexpected person appears in her apartment with a gun pointed to her head. Wounded, Hyuuga Neji needed her assistance to save him from a fatal wound in the aftermath of an assassination job gone wrong. Then, complication ensues when he decides to stay.

**Job Gone Wrong **

Day Three

* * *

After doing the dishes, Tenten decided to explore the rest of the house. Normally, she would oppose to the idea, but for the time being, she didn't care. She was bored out of her mind and apart from that, she didn't want to spend her whole morning doing chores. Of the many entrances to the kitchen, a couple of steps led Tenten to the living room. It is a typical living room apart from the simplicity of it. A couch, a lamp, a coffee table, and a wide screen television set completed the room like it was straight out of a home magazine.

Long corridors, pristine white walls and hardwood floors went on forever as Tenten walked throughout the quiet house. One thing she noticed in particular was the limited amount of windows. Whether it was out of safety or paranoia, the lack of light did not disrupt the open space in each room. Whoever designed the house knew what they were doing. Mildly impressed, Tenten continued to speculate the entire main floor. There wasn't much to see because most of the doors remain locked. Obviously, Neji didn't want her to sneak around, although she had a feeling that she'd find out the contents in those rooms soon enough. Not pushing her luck, Tenten roamed around, making a mental map in her mind.

The one place that held her interest was the front entrance. Upon the wall was an antique mirror that had an intricate amount of engravings running along its borders. Curiosity got the best of her and before she knew it, her hands were gliding along the sides, feeling every cool letter and symbol against her skin. However, her hands stopped when she felt something different.

Immediately, Tenten withdrew her hand. Concealed behind the mirror's edge was a weapon. The elegance it held disappeared like a puff of smoke. In that one instant, it occur to her that this house is indeed built for a purpose, not merely just for protection. Sure, everything looked ordinary but in every room, there was no doubt that she'd find more weapons that were strategically hidden to the untrained eye. That thought didn't scare for matter. It was finding the weapons that crossed her mind. Knowing that there were hidden, her mind would consciously wander to them, knowing that they are sitting there, waiting to be use in the time of need. A part of her told her to forget about it, and the other pushed down her anxiety at the possibility of actually needing to use the weapons.

+0+0+0+

After what it seemed like hours, Tenten wanted to take a shower, which was probably the best idea since Neji was nowhere to be found. On top of that, walking around the house was beginning to feel like walking in a museum. Everything was there out in the open, but a lingering voice inside of her head would tell her not to touch anything in sight.

When Tenten arrived at the top of the stairs, she went straight to the room she was placed in the night before. To say that the room belonged to her was not the first thought that popped in her mind, although the fact that her own duffel bag was on top of the bed said otherwise. How it got there? She didn't care as long as she can take a shower and change out of her dirty clothes.

Opening the door of the adjacent bathroom, Tenten quickly locked it and went to turn on the water. Once the temperature of the water was to her liking, she stripped out of her clothes and sighed when the hot water cascade down her body, washing away all the dirt and grim from last night. Comfortable with her setting, Tenten hummed a couple of songs to keep her mood up. Being in a big empty house gave her the creeps, but then she remembered that she isn't the only one in the house. That was evident when the brunette heard a loud knock on the door. It scared the crap out of her, though she didn't make a sound. Tenten simply turned off the water and wrapped a towel around her body before stepping onto the bathroom floor.

"What?" She practically yelled. It had to be Neji. Of the nerve. First he dragged her to a place that was in the middle of nowhere, then ordered her to clean the entire house (alone at that), and now he was interrupting her moment of bliss. Can't a girl just take a freaking shower? Apparently, not in this house. When Tenten didn't get an answer, she decided to open the door to see what he wanted. Securing her modesty with a glance at the mirror, she pulled the door ajar.

Standing in front of her was Neji, holding his hand his wounded side while the red bandages sat unraveled around his hips. Face etched in pain, maybe annoyance (she couldn't tell), it immediately change the moment he saw that the only thing she had on is a towel.

"I need new bandages," he told her, eyes lingering on her wet skin. Seeing that she was rooted at the bathroom's entrance, the assassin held onto the doorframe for support and leaned closely to her. "Now." The low tone of his voice sent shivers to her spine. Perceiving it as a demand and not a threat, Tenten concluded it is a matter of life and death. As if her body had a mind of its own, she moved away from the door to let him in. Though she was glad that the bathroom did not compare to the small space of her former bathroom, it didn't help at all because the moment he grabbed the materials he needed, Neji pulled her closer to him.

"What are you doing?" She yelled in protest. He let go of her wrist once she stood beside him. Settling himself on top of the bathroom counter, he removed the rest of his clothing and ignored her yelp of surprise at the sight of his wound. Eyes trained upon the burned flesh on the verge of healing, Tenten couldn't help but stare at it. His wound had reopened.

"It's not like you haven't seen it before," the assassin said with a hint of arrogance. Tenten almost wanted to slap that smirk off his face, but decided that now was not the best time to do so. Then, it dawned on her that she was still in a towel. Not to mention he is half-naked and that they are alone in the bathroom. Inwardly groaning at the cruel joke heaven's playing on her, the brunette pulled herself together before dismissing the possibility that Neji might actually want to see her naked.

"You could have waited for me to put some clothes on," she scolded at him. Sure, she could have walked out of there and let him suffer and die, but being a nice person, Tenten didn't want to leave him dying on the bathroom counter. She figured that faster he's bandaged up, the faster he'd leave so she can finish her shower; what's left of it anyways. Grabbing the bottle of disinfect, Tenten soaked the liquid in cotton balls and wiped away the blood closest to the wound while her other hand loosen the bandages around his waist. "What did you do?" Hands concentrated on the task at hand, the auburn haired girl didn't pay attention at her patient, nor did he make a fuss while she touched areas of his skin that would make a normal male jump in surprise. His slight twitches, however amused her while she patched him up.

"That's none of your business." Tenten scoffed at his simple retort, throwing away the old and dirty gauze into the bin and continued on. It was not her nature to pry into other people's business. Tenten felt that people kept secrets for a reason. Whether it was to protect another person for getting hurt or whatever, it was their secret to keep. The telling part, that bit is complicated. Despite that, she cannot help but want to ask him why he's an assassin in the first place. It's such a strange profession. With his mysterious demeanor and anti-social attitude, she could have pegged him for a detective, maybe. His less-than-friendly appearance scared her at first, however it occurred to her that his lifestyle made him that way. Assassins were different from everyone else. They do their job, get pay, and move on. Easy as that.

She didn't need him to tell her what he did that caused him to reopen his injury. She could tell he must have exerted a high amount of pressure on his abdomen. That was the only logical explanation. Not that she specialize in the medical area, but having spent sleepless nights helping Sakura prepare for her midterm and final exams, medical tidbits just stayed with her, only to emerge when she needed to heal Lee after his training exercises with Gai. At the sudden reminder of her friends, Tenten couldn't help but think back to last night. It wasn't every day you wake up and find yourself in a safe house that is practically in the middle of nowhere. Of course, it's not every day that she'd assist in healing an injured assassin who can pass for a model either.

"How did I get to bed last night?" She asked him, wanting to confirm her theory. Carefully, she wrapped the new dressing around his cleaned wound. Normally, he should be resting and taking painkillers to ease the pain while his body recovered. Of course, the circumstances were different and since he was a professional killer and all, Tenten was sure he could survive in the absence medical supervision and without having the need for the law on his tail.

Lips tightly forming into a thin line, Neji remained silent as she tugged the thin fabric around his waist. She didn't dare meet his eyes, for she could feel his heavy gaze in their close proximity. The fact that her hands were partically around his middle did not help her abrupt movements from pulling the bandage tightly around the wound, making him winch slightly.

"Take a guess," was his answer. Letting out a little sigh, Tenten finished securing the gauze and stood up to face him. The assassin slid off the counter, making her take a step back, not from intimidation, but from the way he looked at her. Matted hair wet from her shower, the length ran down just below her shoulders. With the sunlight emitting from the window above, he could make out the soft features of her face. Unconsciously aware of how attractive she looked in a towel, Tenten remained within his vicinity that tempted him to reach out to touch her naked skin.

"I'm sorry," she said, knowing that his attempt to get her to safety had exhausted his body's limit. Tugging on his shirt, the Hyuuga male made no avail to acknowledge her guilt. In his mind set, what's done was done. He chose to drag her with him to the safe house away from her friends and away from her so called life. He was responsible for her whether he could help it or not. There was no point in bringing it up. The fact that she came willingly with him was enough to assure his decision had been the right one. He couldn't have left her behind. Not after putting her in danger.

With the last of the medical materials stored in their rightful place, his ivory eyes once again focused on her. Then, without a second's notice, he left. Shocked to say the least, the brunette female huffed in frustration at the closed door from his lack of response to her apology. He could have at least said something before he left. Maybe a thank you would have sufficed. Out of irritation and defeat, Tenten dried herself off and got dressed in a hurry because the option of taking another shower flew out the window after the assassin's unwelcomed interruption. She was going to show him that she will not be ignored. Ungrateful prick.

+0+0+0+

Tenten found him in the kitchen. Fixing two sets of sandwiches, the assassin spreaded mayonnaise evenly onto the slice of wheat bread balanced in the palm of his hand. At the sight of his actions, her attention wandered to the digital clock on the microwave and was surprised to find that it was indeed time for lunch. Still a little irked at his egoistic attitude, Tenten didn't think twice before placing herself on the kitchen stool. Donned in cropped pants and a high collar mandarin tank, the auburn haired female was unfazed when Neji pushed the completed turkey sandwich in her direction.

"Eat," he told her. Tenten stared at the plate in front of her, then raised her eyes to meet his silver depths. Stoically, Neji stood there as if daring her to disobey him. This small gesture from him almost made her want to forget his intrusion upon her time of privacy. Well, almost wasn't enough to make her want to throw a tanrum like a little girl either. Thinking it was probrably for her own good, Tenten took a bite of the sandwich. She would figure out another way to get back at him. Maybe she should walk in on his time of privacy. Then, smacking herself inwardly at how creepy and wrong that sounded, the brunette looked out the window to find a distraction.

This served two purposes. One, it would keep her mind off of Neji, who was eating in front of her. It was the first time she has ever seen him eat and she couldn't help but watch him silently. Then, it occured to her that staring at him may not be the best thing to do. She didn't want him to think she's fasinated by him. The other reason is much more simple. Through the large glass doors, a small garden catches her eyes. It was the most open area she has seen since she got here. She admits that she felt kind of clausophobic. With a house full of limited windows, the wide glass doors brought warm sunshine into the kitchen like a summer's day, filling the room with light and openess. She must have stared at it for a long time because Neji had already finish his sandwich while her half-eaten sandwich remained untouch.

"Do you want to see it?" Wordlessly, Tenten got up and followed Neji to the door. The fresh breath of air hits her when the doors slid apart. Then, her amber eyes observe Neji as he watered the garden. "Daisies," he said to her. "You need to water them once a day." Great. Figures he'd show her something without a hidden agenda. But inwardly, Tenten was thrilled to handle the task. The simplicity of the chore escaped her mind and the idea of actually spending outdoors for a couple of minutes in a familiar setting brings a smile to her face.

Neji placed the watering can down and joined Tenten who was sitting on the small white bench. They sat there in silence, soaking up the sun and examining the small garden. Golden centers surrounded by ivory long petals emerge from a curtain of green leaves and stems underneath. Droplets of water reflected the light emitting from the sun, giving the flowers a slight sparkle. The sight of the pretty little flowers were mesmerizing. Combined with the calm and fresh air, Tenten could stay here forever.

"Why do you have a garden of daisies?" Those words slipped out of her mouth before she can stop herself.

"It's yours now." He stood up. Looking down upon her, his light words made her gasp. Without a chance to compose herself, Tenten sat there, mouth agape with astonishment. Did he just give her an entire garden?

"Thank you," she said to him, not knowing what else to say.

"Hn," was his response. With a slight turn, his gaze gave the garden a once-over. The presence of the flowers did not fit into the rough landscape. If not, it made the background brighter, more appealing. "I expect you to take care of it."

"Of course." His attention to returned to her, eyeing the geniune smile on her face.

"Good," he replied. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a piece of paper and hand it to her. "I'll be upstairs." Then, poof. He was gone, leaving a bewildered Tenten with a list of chores to do for the rest of day. The feeling of calm washed away and was crushed by the feeling of "What the hell?"

'What the hell, indeed,' her mind echoed when she read through the long list of endless chores.

+0+0+0+

Cable television, long afternoon naps, and the freedom to walk beyond the front door were a thing of the past for Tenten. Right now, all the time she had reserved was for cleaning. Sweeping the kitchen floors, vacuuming the stairs, dusting the living room, and wiping down every square inch of every surface in the house was absolutely torture when you have to do it all yourself. She had doubts about Neji being the cleaning type; that damn hypocrite. In a mere four hours, Tenten was able to accomplished half of the list Neji generously gave her. She wanted nothing more to tear it up and throw it in his face, but decided against. It wasn't like she was scared of him or anything; the bastard went upstairs before she could even mumble a word. Besides, the chores would give her something to do. It was better than sitting and watching television all day, that was for sure.

Stepping backward to speculate her work, Tenten bumped into another body. Thinking it was Neji, the brunette turned around to yell at him for sneaking up on her. To her surprise, she found a man, whom she would have mistake him for an elderly person had she not look at his face carefully. his hair however, reminded her of a scarecrow.

"Yo," he waved casually, checking out the pink apron she had on at the same time. his brow rose in amusement. "My, my," he drawled out lazily. "I wouldn't have pegged Neji for wanting a domestic life." What was he talking about? Placing his hand on her shoulder in earnest, he said, "Tell me." She tilted her head to the side in confusion and could have swore a twinkle of mischief was evident in his only visible eye. The silver haired male leaned into her personal space, "How Neji is in bed?" At that, Tenten's left eye twitched. It was official, all assassins were perverts.

The first thing Tenten did was remove his hand off her shoulder. The second thing she did was took a step back. Then, in a piercing scream, she yelled Neji's same so loud that it echoed momentarily throughout the house. In an instant, the assassin arrived at the bottom of the stairs, coolly striding over to them.

"Kakashi," he nodded in acknowledgement. His pearl orbs wandered over to the flustered brunette who had a tint of red on her cheeks. "What's wrong?" Her lips pursed and she said nothing but glared at the silver haired man.

"Just a little joke," Kakashi said with a lazy wave of his hand. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right, you pervert!" Neji raised a brow. "Ask him," she grounded out and turned away to walk out of the room. Of course, the Hyuuga assassin didn't bother, knowing that Kakashi wouldn't pass up a chance to make a comment without lacing sexual innuendos and connotations, and he had the orange book to thank for that. Not.

"I'm assuming that's your ward." The slightest nod came from the young man. "You sure picked her well."

"It was an accident," he said reassuringly.

"Whatever it was," his hand raked through the messy hair tiredly. All of the humor vanished off his face. "She can't stay here."

"I know." They both heard the hum of a vacuum in one of the other rooms.

"Three weeks," Kakashi held up his fingers. "She must leave in three weeks. That's an order."

"After we take care of this mess." A flash of anger appeared on his stoic features. "Where the hell is Shikamaru?"

"Working on the plan. We'll go over them tonight, assuming that the rest are cleared from Akatsuki's surveillance, which I presume will be soon."

"Fine," Neji scoffed. All of a sudden, they heard an audible yelp over the noise of the vacuum. It was Tenten. Without a moment's time, they both rushed toward her direction.

When they arrived, they found the brunette on the floor and looming over here was a familiar associate dressed in black. His hands were crossed and a bored expression was evident on his face. At the presence of Neji and Kakashi, the red haired male merely gave them a glance before returning to Tenten, who was apparently still in shock. Clearly, she wasn't amused. Embarrass beyond belief, she got up quickly, rubbing her bottom slightly to ease the pain from her fall.

"Nice of you to join us, Gaara," greeted Kakashi. "Came through the back door, did you?"

"Who is she?" He asked, noting the rhetorical question.

"You assassins should really start wearing a bell or something." The words came out of Tenten's mouth in a hiss. Just because they are assassins, it didn't mean they should keep sneaking up on her, not to mention scaring the life out of her at the same time.

"My guest," Neji told him as he ignored Tenten's comment.

"I see," Garra said softly. His eyes never wavered from the auburn haired girl. Stoic as ever, Tenten studied his face. Gaara's skin color was pale in comparison to her own. She could easily spot the dark rim around his eyes, probably from the lack of sleep. Though he appeared to a bit younger (and shorter) than her, she couldn't shake off the hardness of his light turquoise colored eyes that held the intent to put her six feet under if he wanted. Then, opening his mouth, he told her, "You look like a panda."

"What?" She choked out, unsure of how she should take his observation. Was he making fun of her hairstyle? How dare he! She didn't even get (more like did not have) a chance to say anything about his features, especially since he was the one who didn't have any eyebrows. He shouldn't be the one making judgments about her looks. Either assassins have no social skills or they just wanted to piss her off just for laughs.

"I like pandas." Or to confuse her because right after that, he brushed passed her and walked down the halls. Tenten's gaze followed him with disbelief until he disappeared upstairs.

"Hmm, I did not know that," Kakashi drawled out as an afterthought. His attention turned to Tenten. "Don't worry about Gaara. He won't kill you now that he knows you're a guest." Was that suppose to make her feel better?

"That's comforting," she retorted sarcastically. "Will we have any more _visitors_ today?"

"Yes," Neji answered her. "We'll be upstairs." Like clockwork, she watched them walk away down the halls and up the second story of the house. Satisfied that they were going to leave her alone, Tenten went ahead to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of juice. Working for hours with a break was starting to kill her. To tell the truth, she kind of lost track of time. It wasn't like she was having fun or anything. She was just in a daze, just cleaning and figuring out where the supplies were since Neji conveniently forgot to tell her. That bastard.

Whether it was out of fatigue or sleep deprivation, Tenten didn't notice that the cup had overfilled, spilling all over the kitchen counter and onto the floor. Her dark eyes followed the wine colored trail with discontent as the liquid created a puddle around her feet. Great, now her feet are sticky. Groaning angrily, she grabbed a towel and wiped the mess up. It wasn't until she reach the sink that she saw her own reflection on the kitchen faucet. Specks of dust cling to her clothes like sprinkles on ice cream, not to mention they were in her hair as well. After minutes of examining the horrors of her unclean self, Tenten decided it was time for another shower. Just seeing herself dirty from head to toe made her uncomfortable. Like the assassins before her, she walked up the stairs and headed toward her room.

+0+0+0+

Her cleaning routine was short. First, she would scrub from head to toe, getting rid of any dirt from under her nails and such, and lastly, she would wash her hair. After making sure every speck of dust was off her body, Tenten shut the water off and got out, wrapping a towel around herself. The next second, she heard a faint knock on the door and rolled her eyes. It was probably Neji telling her to get back to work. Sighing, she opened the door ready to explain that she was not slacking off. She was merely taking a break. Yeah, that's it.

It wasn't until the steam cleared up that Tenten realized that the person standing in front of her wasn't Neji. Along with a loud scream, Tenten slammed the door shut, locking it at the same time. "Who the hell are you?"

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing," said the stranger from the other side. "Is Neji in there?"

"NO!" The young female wasn't afraid, per se, though the circumstances beg to differ. You'd think she'll be used to the appearing act assassins do oh so well. Of course, it still scares the crap out of her. Then, she remembered that he is the last visitor. "Are you an assassin as well?"

"No shit," was the reply she received. Tenten scoffed and heard him murmur something about "troublesome women" and decided that assassins don't keep the nicest company.

"Shikamaru," she heard through the door. It was Neji. "Where's the file I asked for?"

"Right here," he answered. Before she knew it, Tenten opened the door to find Neji and Shikamaru at the entrance of the bedroom. His dark eyes scanned her from head to toe and then he turned to the Hyuuga male. "That's the girl from last night?"

"Yes, she is." Whether it was the way he said it or the chilled air, Tenten shivered and crossed her arms when Neji looked at her. "Taking another shower? His lips formed a slight smirk, and suddenly Tenten felt her cheeks warm up as memories from the morning came into her mind.

"I have a name, you know." Getting impatient that they were still in the room while she isn't dressed, the brunette strolled over to them. Within the second she stopped, Tenten sneezed. Damn, why couldn't they just leave her to finish her shower? "Now if you don't mind," she gave them both a shove toward the hallway. To think that assassins would have better timing, but in reality, they simply do not. "Get out." With that, she slammed the door in their faces.

+0+0+0+

It didn't take long for Tenten to get dress, dry her hair, and style it to her satisfaction. Feeling refresh, she thought it was time to see what the assassins were up to. Walking down the stairs and down the long hallway connecting to another private room (that was previously locked), she started to wonder if she's the first normal person to walk down these halls. Her thoughts ran short when she found the visitors in a large office. Peering inside, she could see Kakashi and Gaara, who are leaning against the wall while Shikamaru and Neji remain seated. With seldom expressions etched on their face, each of them discussed lightly with technical terms that are reserved for their profession. Whether she is eavesdropping on them or listening to idle chatter, it didn't make a difference to her because she could not comprehend a single notion of it.

Sitting in a leather chair, the Hyuuga assassin's stature loomed over a lone file while Shikamaru sat across from him, smoked. Kakashi stood silently, inserting remarks and questions along the conversation like a royal advisor. Gaara, on the other hand supplied the discussion with his knowledge of casualties and among any thing that associated with politics. It seems all of them were well-rounded in providing information. She couldn't help but admire their talents.

Ironically, she coughed to announce her presence rather from the toxic embers emitting heavily in the air. Upon acknowledging her, the assassins merely glanced in her direction before returning to their prior actions.

"Do you need something?" Came Neji's inquiry when she stepped into the room. Like always, curiosity got the best of her.

"What are you guys doing?" As if on cue, Shikamaru took the question.

"Planning a suicide mission," he told her. Inwardly, Tenten flinched at the hardness of this tone. A part of her wished he was only joking. "Thanks the fuck up of a few rogue assassins," Shikamaru added bitterly. His fingers flicked the cigarette on his hand, dispensing the gray ashes into the tray that sat on the mahogany table. "You're lucky to be here." She wanted to roll her eyes. Yeah, she has always wanted to be in a house full of hired killers, lucky her. Snapping out of her reverie, her ears focused on his question. "What was your name?"

"Tenten," she answered, not knowing how to take the information.

"Nara Shikamaru," the genius supplied, taking another drag of his cigarette. "Intelligence surveillances and part-time assassin." A few rings of smoke flew out of his mouth. "I take it you haven't killed a person yet." It was a statement. Tenten didn't have time to respond when the Kakashi opened his mood to lighten up the mood.

"Well, then," he said, closing his orange book in a snap. "I think it's time for dinner." When the book disappeared behind his pocket, he turned to Gaara. "You must be hungry." The red haired assassin threw Kakashi a glare before heading towards the door, silently agreeing. Then turning to Tenten, she could have sworn he winked at her when he walked passed her. "I'll leave the cooking to Neji, assuming that he won't burn the house down," they heard him announce as he traveled down the hall.

Shikamaru and Neji stood up from their seats. Snubbing his cigarette, Shikamaru chuckled lightly at the joke Kakashi made and walked out the door, leaving Neji and Tenten to stare at each other. Like an unknown force, the serious atmosphere dissolved the instant Kakashi opened his mouth.

"Let's go," Neji told her, pulling on her elbow. "I don't want them ruining the work you've done all day." Tenten heard his comment and couldn't help but smile a bit. Though it wasn't his nature to be open about his emotions, he just admitted to her how he appreciated her presence. Maybe it was a good thing she was here after all, filling his day with a little normalcy. Grinning widely, Tenten followed him, letting Neji led her down to the kitchen full of assassins without the desire to pull away, and she didn't, nor did he.

* * *

**A/N:** Still interested, or should I just stop writing this story?

* * *

**Preview of Chapter Four**

Picking up her chopsticks, she scooped more rice in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully while her eyes bounced from one assassin to another. Apart from their horrible timing, social attitude, and manners, Tenten was surprised to say the least because currently, they were sitting at the table and actually being friendly instead of hostile to one another. Dinner was a quiet affair, yet she couldn't help but observe them from afar. One by one, she watched their movements. Their motions were fluid, precise, and quickly executed like a well-tuned machine. Their efficiency was hard to ignore when they made it look so effortless.

Occasionally, the eyes of every assassin would dart to the auburn haired female from time to time, although the light turquoise eyes of Gaara were more frequent. Whether it bothered Neji, he did not show it. Sitting next to Tenten, the Hyuuga male merely ate his meal and took part in conversations when his opinion was needed. Soon, Tenten took notice of their fleeting gaze and caught Gaara's light colored eyes for a split second. She couldn't place her finger on it, but it seemed that they are hiding something from her. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and opened her mouth to ask them.

"Why does everyone keep looking at me?" Everyone at the table stopped eating and turned their attention to Tenten. "Is there food on my face?"

"No," Gaara intoned. "Our minds are occupied with the sleeping arrangement, that's all." Tenten narrowed her eyes with suspicion. That can't be it. Surely the house is large enough to make sure that everyone is given privacy.

"I've already made the arrangements," Neji assured him. "A room is prepared for each one of you." Tenten rolled her eyes.

"No thanks to you," she scoffed. "I did all the work." Kakashi let out a dry cough. Automatically, Neji sent a death glare at the silver haired man before he can make a verbal connotation. Then, realization hit her. "Wait," the marbles clicked in her head, comparing the number of rooms to the number of people currently in the house. "There aren't enough rooms for everyone to have their own." Clearly they all already figured it out because the next thing she knew, their full attention turned to Neji, who gave her the horrible news.

"You will be sharing a room with me." Right then and there, Tenten wanted the floor below her feet to open up and swallow her. He had to be kidding. No, of course he wasn't kidding because there wasn't a hint of amusement in his tone of voice. Inwardly, she smacked herself on the forehead. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	4. Day Four

**Started:** Thursday, November 5, 2009

**Draft Finished:** Monday, April 2, 2012

**Fiction:** Continuation

**Rated:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** The character and names of Naruto characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. This story belongs to me.

**Anime:** Naruto

**Pairings:** NejiTen

**Genre:** Romance

**Summary:** Tenten's life was simple and ordinary until one night, an unexpected person appeared in her apartment with a gun pointed to her head. Wounded, Hyuuga Neji needed her assistance to save him from a fatal wound in the aftermath of an assassination job gone wrong. Then, complication ensues when he decides to stay.

* * *

**Job Gone Wrong **

Day Four

* * *

Walking down the long halls, Neji held onto Tenten's arm. After hearing about their grand plan for a suicide mission, she was lost in her own thoughts. A part of her wanted to know the details of their grand scheme. They must be facing something difficult since they were collaborating with one another, and despite better judgment, Tenten couldn't help but worry for Neji's safety. As an assassin, his job description wasn't exactly ordinary. However, she found that his life was very misleading. Detachment was suppose to be the epitome of his life, yet here she was accompanying him to dinner with a house full of people, who were (without doubt) assassins. Bizarre didn't even begin to describe her situation.

In her stupor, Tenten didn't realize that they were near the bottom of the stairs. Operating on autopilot, she paid no attention to the pace of her steps. The consequence of that rendered her to lose control of her balance. Like a klutz, Tenten's body propelled forward, slamming into Neji, who was in front of her. The sudden force knocked the both of them down. The next thing she knew, Neji was on his back, holding her; his arms were wrapped securely around her waist. It took her a second to gather her thoughts and upon returning to reality, she found that there was an audience before her.

Two figures stood over them. One was a blonde woman, who had a skeptical expression on her face. Her hair was tied back in multiple ponytails with short bangs that swept neatly above her dark eyes. Likewise, the other man standing next to her had his face painted with (what she assumed to be) stage make up. Unlike the blonde woman, his face was etched in complete surprise. Just a few feet away, Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Gaara merely gave them a glance, inwardly wondering what the hell just happened. Whether she should be mortified for causing the accident or relieved that the fall didn't result in any injury, Tenten remained a mute.

"We bought food," the male said, filling the awkward silence with a pleasant alternative announcement instead of commenting on their current predicament. Awkward didn't begin to describe what Tenten was feeling because all of their attention was focus on Neji and her; their gaze was unrelenting.

"What's going on here?" asked Kakashi.

"She tripped," Neji supplied, leaning forward to get up. His grip remained around her small body and in their close proximity, Tenten felt him flinch. It dawned on her that he was still recovering from his bullet wound.

"Going _downstairs_?" Tenten untangled herself from the assassin and helped him up as Neji threw Kakashi a dark glare.

"Yes, it happens to _normal _people," she told him in exasperation, supporting Neji's frame as he unconsciously leaned on her. "Now that we all know that I'm a klutz, can we move on?"

"That depends," said the smirking silver haired assassin.

"On what?" She asked him defensively, ready for whatever remark he had up his sleeve.

"On whether if you can properly coordinate yourself on your way to the kitchen." A pause. "Unless you want to have a repeat of this scandalous scene right on top of the kitchen table." Neji shot Kakashi a murderous scowl, but he waved it off as it was nothing. "Of course, I wouldn't mind a show-"

"I would," Gaara interjected. Every one turned their attention to the red haired male. "I don't want bodily fluids on my food." A pause. "By the way," he directed his gaze to Neji, "You're bleeding." Tenten's eyes darted to Neji's abdomen, noting that he was indeed bleeding through his shirt.

"Not again," she said with an exasperated sigh.

"How hard did you fall onto him?" Shikamaru held back a chuckle.

"She didn't tighten them hard enough," Neji told him.

"Maybe because you barged in the bathroom when I was taking a shower!" The assassins watched them quarrel. Only Kankuro was brave enough to open his mouth to comment on the situation.

"Food _and_ entertainment. I was wondering why you didn't answer your phone, Gaara."

"I would have done a better job if I had some clothes on," said Tenten. "But no, you're always rushing me, like the first time." Again, the attention fell upon the two like moths to a light.

"You had a towel on," Neji reminded her simply, both oblivious to the fact that the others were hanging onto their every word. "And you didn't complain the first time."

"I didn't have a choice, remember?" She told him acidly.

"Not another word Kankuro," Gaara stated in a stern tone before Kankuro had a chance to add anything else.

"What? This is pretty damn entertaining." A hint of amusement lingered in his words. It wasn't every day you get to see an assassin having a friendly banter with an ordinary female. He had to admit, she was pretty attractive, and the sexual tension between the Hyuuga and her was undeniable. "Temari, I bet you are dying to say something."

"No, I'm not," was the response Kankuro got. He rolled his eyes. His siblings were such buzz kills.

"Plus, a towel does not count-"

"Ahem," Temari finally intervened. She held up the plastic bags that were in her hands. "The food's getting cold." Tenten felt her cheeks growing warm, unaware that she was revealing more information than she should have. "I don't know about you two, but I want to eat. Let's go people." The horde of assassins paraded into the kitchen area while Neji and Tenten stayed behind.

"Come on," Tenten finally said, making a motion toward the nearest bathroom. "Let's get you cleaned up." Obediently, Neji followed her.

+0+0+0+

When they arrived at the bathroom door, Tenten got a flash of déjà vu. The bathroom was not much bigger than her former one. Despite that, it didn't stop her from opening the cabinets to grab the familiar items. She might as well be an expert at treating bullet wounds at this point. Like clockwork, the assassin removed his shirt and tossed it aside while his female companion unraveled his bandages. He watched her silently as she sterilize his wound and bound it with new bandages.

"I hope this is the last time today I'll have to do this," she stated, making sure it was tight enough this time around. Whether it hurt him or not, the assassin did not show it. Being in such proximity, he could see her frustration. It irked her that he criticized her first aid skills. After securing the end of the gauze, Tenten maneuvered away from Neji in order to put back the supplies. She could feel his lingering gaze focused on her every move.

"Thank you," he told her. Upon hearing his words of gratitude, Tenten's movements came to a halt. It was difficult to hide the surprise on her face.

"No problem," Tenten replied, slightly taken back by his change in attitude. "You should have asked Kakashi to bandage you up. I bet he'd do a better job."

"I can assure you that your assumption is wrong," Neji retorted, grabbing a clean shirt from the drawer nearby. "That man is a sadist. He doesn't care if he's being gentle or not." She could only imagine the torture he would have to go through if Kakashi was in her place right now. Most likely, Neji would rather bleed to death than let the silver haired assassin touch him.

"Why are there so many assassins here?" She changed the subject. Her curiosity always got the best of her. With the inflow of more assassins, who wouldn't? "Don't tell me you guys are here for a conference." Sarcasm did not escape her; Tenten was being completely serious.

"Something like that." Finally buttoning up his shirt, he helped her clean up, disposing the items that were contaminated with his blood. As he did so, Tenten washed her hands, scrubbing them clean (for what she felt like she had done for the millionth time today). "Are you afraid?" She gave it a thought. It occurred to her that they did not scare her at all. Sure, they might be assassins, but she didn't pose as a threat to them. The fact that they are cold-blooded killers didn't leave her mind, not even for a second.

"No," she answered honestly. "If anything, I think I am a little paranoid." Tenten turned to him fully, drying her hands. The white towel did not show a hint of blood on them. "You said this is a safe house, yet there are weapons hidden everywhere." It didn't come to a surprise to Neji.

"You found the weapons." It was more a statement than a question. "They are for precautions." He didn't have to continue for Tenten to know what he was trying to get at. Although safe houses were designed for the initial use to hide from enemies, there was no guarantee that this place would be unknown to everyone (even if they are in the middle of nowhere). It could go without saying that this place might be the best place to kill someone; isolated, away from public eyes, undetectable. A small shiver ran down her spine as these thoughts ran through her mind.

In a fluid motion, Neji pulled the towel out of Tenten's hands and hung it on the metal rack. He turned to face her. "We have everything under control. No harm will come to you." The assassin took a step closer to her. Automatically, she took a step back until he left her with no more room to shy away from his advancement. The room suddenly felt small and warm, like the inside of a broiler. "Tenten," he said in a low voice. She held her gaze as he leaned closer, too close.

"Yes?" She resisted the urge to break eye contact. The only sound she could hear was the adrenaline coursing throughout her body.

"Move," she heard him say. "You're blocking the door." His brusque command shook her out of her daze. Then, realizing that he was right, Tenten attentively pushed him away and got out of the bathroom before he could add anything else.

She couldn't get out there fast enough. Yet, the sound of her heart beating like drums rang loudly in her ears with each step she took toward the kitchen.

+0+0+0+

Upon her arrival, Tenten witnessed an odd sight that occupied her thoughts. The assassins were setting the table. Gaara and Shikamaru were piling the food onto the plates as Kakashi dealt with the bowls and chopsticks. Kankuro went around the table filling each cup with tea. Watching him made Tenten realized that her throat was dry. The only person who didn't have a task was Temari.

"Finally joining us, Miss Klutz?" Kankuro asked when he saw her. There was a glint of amusement in his eyes and Tenten knew he was probably recalling her not-so-gracious fall down the stairs. First Kakashi, now him. There was just no end to their teasing.

"My name is Tenten," she told him with an edge in her voice. Whether he notice or not, he did not show it. Instead, he introduced himself.

"I'm Kankuro," he held out his hand and Tenten shook his hand firmly. "My sister, Temari," he pointed to the blonde woman, "You've already met Gaara, our younger brother." Her attention went to the red-haired male. She would have never guessed they are all related, and to think they all chose the same profession. Their father must be so proud.

"Yes," she answered in a steady tone. "It's nice to meet you all." Tenten could see Temari rolling her eyes as if she was reprimanding her for socializing with professional killers. Either way, the brunette was glad they were making an effort to be nice to her, unlike a certain someone.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Neji was entering the kitchen. As he made his way toward her, a warm bubbling sensation sat at the pit of her stomach. She ignored it, but it was hard to ignore the fact that Neji had chose to stand next to her despite all of the open space in the kitchen. Tenten didn't let his close proximity bother her and focused on Kankuro's pending question.

"How do you know Neji?" That question threw her off guard. How was she supposed to answer that? What were the odds that an attractive assassin would be waiting in her apartment when she got home from work, demanding her at gunpoint to aid him into patching him up in exchange that he wouldn't kill her? To add to that, he even brought her to his safe house where he appointed her as a housekeeper. Yeah, any plausible logic in her explanation was nonexistent. Sometimes, fact was stranger than fiction.

"That's none of your concern," Neji interjected with a clip in his tone.

"I bet it's an embarrassing story." He said with a sly smirk on his face. Whether it was rhetorical or not, Kankuro didn't waste time to get an answer out of Tenten. "From what I've gathered, he walked in on you while you were in the shower. Am I right?"

"That's not entirely true," Tenten told him, hoping no one would notice her flushed face. "He interrupted my shower earlier today."

"Oh?" She rolled his eyes at his suggestive tone.

"It's nothing like that," Tenten added quickly. "You see, I had to clean the entire house by myself and-" Kankuro turned to Neji before she could explain any further.

"What the hell's wrong with you? Didn't your father ever teach you about respecting women and their privacy?" Chivalry, maybe some assassins have some after all.

"It was an emergency," Neji retorted.

"Is she here to be at your beck and call?" For once, she was glad that someone was on her side, even if he was a total stranger.

"I assigned her few chores to keep her busy," he remarked condescendingly. "She might as well do something productive." Unlike a certain sexist pig!

"Yeah, that doesn't sound sexist at all." Kankuro scoffed. "I really find that hard to believe since you don't like people touching your things and entering your rooms, especially your bedroom."

"She's already been in there," came Neji's quick reply. "You can ask her if you're so curious." The truth was a funny thing, yet Tenten didn't find any humor in this situation. In fact, she was certain that assassins have absolutely no sense of timing whatsoever. Case in point, when Tenten waited for Neji to dispute the innuendo, he remained silent. Kankuro (who didn't know if Neji was joking or not) mirrored Tenten's shock expression.

"This is unbelievable," said Kankuro as he turned to brunette. "Are you two in some kind of a relationship?" Tenten's ears picked up the disbelief in manner of his speech, but she couldn't muster a straight answer. Her mind was still trying to comprehend the absurdity of his question.

"What was that about respecting a woman's privacy?" Their attention turned to Temari. It was obvious to Tenten that the blonde woman was annoyed. "Who cares if they are sleeping together or not."

'Good grief,' Tenten's head bow down in mortification, which helped her hide her flushing face. This _was not_ happening. "Guys, you have it all wrong. It's not what you think. " As cliché as it sounds, those words were the truth. Too bad none of them believed her.

"Oh, I bet it's better than what we imagine." said a grinning Kakashi. "Neji has always been fully _equipped_, am I right?" Tenten wanted to strangle him. As if she was not in a tough enough spot, he just had to open his big old perverted mouth and make things worse. There was no end to this. If they had any mercy in their soul, they would put a bullet in her now to end her torment.

The only thought occupying Kankuro's mind right now was Tenten's reaction to his question. Her face was glowing red (from a mix of anger and frustration), and he concluded that she and Neji were in some kind of a relationship after all. She couldn't fool him. Only a guilty person would be in denial. There was no other logical explanation. Neji might be a bit of a prick, but Kankuro knew that he wouldn't go as far as take a female hostage. He had too much pride, it was a Hyuuga trait. Though one thing was for sure, Kankuro couldn't help but applaud Neji on his taste of women. Knowing there was no point to press the matter any further, Kankuro let the issue slide.

"All right. I get it," he said dismissively. "I'm getting hungry, let's eat."

"Yes," Gaara interjected. "It's time for dinner." Wordlessly, they agreed to his comment and sat down. Tenten took it as a cue to shake off the awkwardness. She never liked the idea of being in the center of attention, although that was the least of her worries. It was clear to her that she had become their source of entertainment the moment they saw her with Neji. So far, she was failing to give them a good first impression, not once, not twice, but three times. Someone up there must be laughing at her right now; either that or they really hate her.

Tenten sat next to Neji (not by choice, it was the only seat available), ignoring Kakashi's knowing smirk. She wanted nothing more than to smack it off his face. Instead of pondering on that idea, the brunette decided to follow Temari's lead and began to eat. The only positive thing Tenten could take from this experience was that she didn't have to cook. Too bad no one told her that she had to give up her sanity in the process.

+0+0+0+

Picking up her chopsticks, she scooped more rice in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully while her eyes bounced from one assassin to another. Apart from their horrible timing, social attitude, and manners, Tenten was surprised to say the least because currently, they were sitting at the table and actually being friendly instead of hostile to one another. Dinner was a quiet affair, yet she couldn't help but observe them from afar. One by one, she watched their movements. Their motions were fluid, precise, and quickly executed like a well-tuned machine. Their efficiency was hard to ignore when they made it look so effortless.

Occasionally, the eyes of every assassin would dart to the auburn haired female from time to time, although the light turquoise eyes of Gaara were more frequent. Whether it bothered Neji, he did not show it. Sitting next to Tenten, the Hyuuga male merely ate his meal and took part in conversations when his opinion was needed. Soon, Tenten took notice of their fleeting gaze and caught Gaara's light colored eyes for a split second. She couldn't place her finger on it, but it seemed that they are hiding something from her. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and opened her mouth to ask them.

"Why does everyone keep looking at me?" Everyone at the table stopped eating and turned their attention to Tenten. "Is there food on my face?"

"No," Gaara intoned. "Our minds are occupied with the sleeping arrangement, that's all." Tenten narrowed her eyes with suspicion. That wasn't it. Surely the house was large enough to make sure that everyone is given privacy.

"I've already made the arrangements," Neji assured him. "A room is prepared for each one of you." Tenten rolled her eyes.

"No thanks to you," she scoffed. "I did all the work." Kakashi let out a dry cough. Automatically, Neji sent a death glare at the silver haired man before he could make a verbal connotation. Then, realization hit her. "Wait," the marbles clicked in her head, comparing the number of rooms to the number of people currently in the house. "There aren't enough rooms for everyone to have their own." Clearly, they all already figured it out because the next thing she knew, their full attention turned to Neji, who gave her the horrible news.

"You will be sharing a room with me." Right then and there, Tenten wanted the floor below her feet to open up and swallow her. He had to be kidding. No, of course he wasn't kidding because there wasn't a hint of amusement in his tone of voice. Inwardly, she smacked herself on the forehead. What had she gotten herself into?

Should she be mad, surprised, embarrassed, or all of the above? Tenten did not care at the moment. She merely thought it over, deciding to deal with it later. Yes, that's it. They were all adults. Surely, there was another way to solve this minor vocation.

But alas, it turned out that her options were limited. Sure, she could room with the blonde assassin, who's indeed female. However, it occurred to her that being with Neji was probably safer than sharing a room with a stranger who could kill you in your sleep with no remorse.

Soon, everyone finished their meal and before long, it was getting late. In between washing and drying the dishes, clearing off and wiping down the table, Tenten kept herself busy, occupying herself with tasks instead of thoughts. The others retreated upstairs. The only notion that reminded her that she wasn't alone in the house was their muffled conversations.

Marching up the stairs, Tenten walked into the familiar bedroom and got ready for bed. After a change of clothes, she climbed into bed and let out a loud sigh. To say she was exhausted would an understatement. Since this morning, one ordeal happened one after the other. It was non-stop. Nevertheless, Tenten couldn't close her eyes. The empty space next to her made her remember the awkward insinuations that occurred just hours ago, and she could feel the heat creeping back to her face. Tenten tossed into a comfortable position and decided to brush those thoughts to the side. Who cares about the other assassins and what they thought of Neji and her?

Of course, she blamed Neji. Instead of clearing up the situation, he let them jump to their own conclusions, which was far from the truth. The only thing Tenten did not understand was why. Did he wanted to humiliate her in front of the others, or did he have another ulterior motive? Either way, he should have told them the truth. As she replayed the scenes of her day, Tenten realized that she didn't know anything about Neji. Not a single thing other than the fact that he had the personally of a tyrant and the mood swings of a pregnant woman. The latter thought made her laugh out loud and in that moment, she made the decision to find out more about him. Who knows, maybe she could gather enough information to eventually blackmail him? You'd never know until you try.

Setting those thoughts aside, Tenten sat up to stretched, but froze when she saw the Hyuuga assassin standing at the door.

"You're still up." Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him. Tenten watched him as he pulled his clothes out of the drawers and went into the adjacent bathroom. Within minutes, the assassin came out in black sweats and a plain white t-shirt. He peeled the covers on the other side of the bed and lay next to her.

Tenten took his lead and placed her head down on the pillow. Looking up the dark ceiling, she folded her hands on her stomach and waited for drowsiness to hit her. She closed her eyes, but it did not help. Without thinking, she called out his name, knowing that he was fully awake.

"What?" He answered, remaining motionless. Tenten turned to face his back before replying. It was now or never.

"I can't sleep. Why don't you tell me something about yourself?" He didn't answer her right away, but just when she thought was going to ignore her, she heard his question.

"What do you want to know?" A part of her was shocked that he even considered her request. Nevertheless, Tenten didn't want to pass up this rare opportunity. It wasn't everyday you get your own private interview with an assassin.

"Let's start with something simple. Did you decorate this house yourself?" A pause.

"Yes, I did." She was too shocked to speak and he continued. "I have a lot of time on my hands."

"Well, if it's any consolation, you have great taste. It sure beats my decorative skills."

He gave her a low chuckle. "I wouldn't say that you are without talent. I haven't bled to death yet."

She mentally rolled her eyes. Just a few hours ago he was criticizing her binding skills and now, he was actually giving her a compliment. "Did you decide that before or after you demanded me to provide you with medical attention? Because you definitely left a bloody mess."

"I asked you before if you had steady hands."

"I could have accidently stabbed you." Not that she would have even if he was clearly unarmed when she was cleaning his wound. There was no doubt he would have found another way to kill her.

"I've seen you use your hands before." Tenten raised a brow despite the fact that he still had his back turned to her.

"Pardon me?"

"My target was living in the building directly across from yours and I happened to see you practice throwing darts. You have perfect accuracy and precision." Well, that explained how he found his way to her former apartment, but a part of her was mortified.

"Wait, you were watching me?" To Tenten's credit, she kept her cool. Had it been any other female in her situation, they would have had their hands around his neck by now.

"Your skills are flawless, yet you never put them to practical use." He didn't even bother to deny it, the bastard.

"Use it, how?" She felt the bed shift and found herself staring directly at Neji. Tenten resisted the urge to inch away from their close proximity.

"To defend yourself, I can teach you." Tenten gave him a scoff.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm sure you have a lot of your plate." It's not like she was afraid of him or anything. The last thing she wanted to do was to train with him, hell, much less be in the same room with him while handling sharp objects.

"Your life is in danger because of me. It's the least I can do." The sincerity of his words didn't hit her until she realized that he was completely serious. No taunts, no bait and switch, not even the old fashion reverse psychology. He seemed genuinely worried about her well-being, but why now? Tenten didn't have time to rationalize his intentions because all of the sudden, the assassin rolled on top of her. She let out a shocked gasp before his covered her mouth with his large hand.

The atmosphere was different now. It was quiet, the kind of quiet that bordered on eerie, not because of the lack of sound but the lack of natural noise. He motioned her to not make a sound and she nodded in compliance.

His body hovered over her. While doing so, he reached under his pillow and pulled out his gun. Then, in a quick motion, he dragged Tenten and himself away from the bed, bringing them both down onto the floor. Lying low and away from the windows, it did not take long for the familiar sound of bullets to fill up of the room.

Her body leaned against Neji as he did his best to shield her from the glass flying in their direction. With the enemy invisible to his eyes, he cursed under his breath before pulling out more weapons from under the bed, thrusting one of them into Tenten's hands. "Time to start your first gun lesson."

"Are you serious?" She exclaimed. "I don't know how to use this!"

"Just point and shoot," he told her. "We have to get out of here!" Taking advantage of the ceasefire, Tenten found herself dragged onto her feet and out the door. In the hallway, the other assassins were equipped to the teeth, though none of them made a move to return fire.

"Looks like Akatsuki found us," Kakashi said automatically when he saw them.

"No shit," Shikamaru replied. "We need to initiate protocol, Neji."

"Damn," Kankuro sighed. "I really like this hide out."

"Now isn't the time," Gaara told his older brother before turning to Kakashi. "Time for Plan B?"

"Do it. I'll contact all of you within forty-eight hours. In the mean time," he shot a look in Neji and Shikamaru's direction. "Dispose of everything."

"This is going to be fun," Temari scoffed sarcastically. "Same shit, new situation." The blonde motioned at the weapon Tenten was currently holding. "Does she even know how to use that?"

"She has steady hands," Neji answered. "Let's go." With that, Kakashi led them down the stairs. The second his foot reached the last step, gun shots were fired. The silver-haired assassin quickly dodged them and fired his assault of bullets.

Tenten felt her body crash against Neji as he pulled her close. One minute she was standing on the stairs, the next she was in the hallway that led to the kitchen. The other assassins were hidden from her view, firing shots from behind walls and furniture. Their movements were so quick she could barely keep up with them all. "Stay here." They were in the kitchen. Before she could reply, Neji pushed her shoulders down, forcing Tenten to sit down on the floor. "Don't move."

"Okay." Then, he left. She had no choice but to obey his instructions; she didn't have anywhere else to go. With her back against the island of the kitchen, her view was obscured. All Tenten could see were the cabinets above her, and although the rapid fire may have ceased, the adrenaline rush made her heart pound faster than ever.

Not a sound emitted throughout the house. However, she heard light footsteps echoing on the tile floors. Thinking that it was one of the assassins, Tenten turned her body to take a look only to find that it was a big mistake. Standing ten feet away from her was someone else. Tall, broad, flat nose, and skin that was ashy gray, almost blue from the lack of light, he walked over in her direction with a cruel smile on his face. His sharp little teeth peeked out from his lips as his tongue glided over them in anticipation. She couldn't look away from his sadistic smile, not when his golden blood-shot eyes were staring into her own. Before she knew what was happening, a round of bullets went in her direction.

As if on autopilot, Tenten retreated, crawling away from the flying debris. Each shot was deadly as the last as the sound of his footsteps grew louder and louder. Using the knowledge of his approach as an advantage, Tenten pointed her gun in his direction and pulled the hammer. Then, blindly, she squeezed the first shot didn't land anywhere in his direction, but after a couple of practice rounds, a bullet grazed his hand. Tenten heard him let out a painful hiss as he reloaded his gun.

"You little bitch!" This time, she covered her ears as the sound of gunfire got louder. Then, the room was once again filled with silence. Tenten froze, anticipating the clatter of an empty magazine and the click of new ammunition to follow ominously after. She held her breath, waiting for the assassin to do so, but she heard nothing, absolutely nothing. Tenten decided to take a peek, lying low while looking for any signs of movement. Ten seconds past and there was still no sound, so she began to panic while her heart was thundering in her chest.

This was bad. It was simply the worst case scenario that she had ever encountered. A killer was after her and the only thing she had to protect herself was a loaded gun with no additional magazines. This wasn't a fair game. Before she could devise a plan, her time was up. A shadow loomed over her, and when Tenten looked up, she caught the glint of his menacing eyes. Her attention didn't stop there. She saw his smirk. The corners of his mouth stretched upward, revealing his white but sharp teeth as a sinister chuckle escaped his lips. "Gotcha." The sound of his voice made her blood run cold. It wasn't every day you find yourself staring into a barrel of a gun. Unfortunely for Tenten, his primary job description was to pull the trigger. This was definitely the worst case scenario _ever_.

* * *

**A/N:** I want to say **thank you** to all you readers for your patience. I know it's been a while since I've updated this story and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was very tough to write. Sadly, there is no preview for the next chapter, but I have one question: How do you like the story so far?

On another note, I want to announce that **Pass the Tea, Hold the Coffee** is officially discontinued. I had fun writing it, but I'm sorry to say that it will remain incomplete due to the lack of support. From what I've gathered, many people have lost interest in it. This is what prompted me to reach my final decision. I apologize for the disappointment.

On a happier note, I do have a new story out called **In a Bind**. It is set in the Naruto world, which coming from me is hard to believe, I know. I've written so many alternate universe stories for this couple, it's ridiculous. I don't know why, but it's more fun to write Neji and Tenten under different circumstances. The possibilities are endless, but there's only so much you can do without changing their character, and I try really hard to keep them in character.

Speaking of character, any of you fans of Loki from _Thor_ and _The Avengers_? I just love the character and also the movies, especially _The Avengers_! I have written a piece called **Basis of Sentimentality**. It is a character study on Loki and if you have time to read it, please do!

Please feel free to leave any comment, or questions you may have on this chapter. I would greatly appreciate it!

* * *

Thank you for reading!


End file.
